Finger ring



Feb. M 1950 E. BURK FINGER RING Filed Feb. 1a, 1946 Patented Feb. 14, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I FINGER RING Ernest Burk, Washington, C. i

Application February 18, 1946, Serial No. 648,225

This invention relates to finger rings and more particularly to a ring having a reversible setting support.

In finger rings of this type heretofore proposed, the setting support is either detached from the ring shank, invertedand then attached to the ring shank to display the opposite face of the setting support, or the setting support is pivoted to the ring shank so that it may be rotated to show either of its faces, the finger of the wearer or a spring latch being relied upon to maintain the desired face in position.

Each of these arrangements has a number of disadvantages, the chief of which are complexity of construction with resultant initial expense and high maintenance cost because of the fragile parts. The complex construction also reduces the ease with which the setting support can be reversed and thus limits the usefulness of the ring.

To avoid these disadvantages, a finger ring having a reversible setting support has been devised wherein the setting support is pivotally mounted in a gap in an incomplete circular ring shank, the gap beingnormally smaller than the setting support so that the ring shank becomes stressed when the setting support is placed therein whereby the setting support is tightly gripped by the ring shank. To maintain] the setting support immovable with respect to the ring shank when the setting support is in onev of its desired positions, the ring shank is provided with detents which snap into grooves in the setting support when the detents are in alignment with said grooves.v

To reverse the setting support and expose its opposite face, it is only necessary to spread the ring shank slightly so that the detents will disengage the grooves whereupon the setting support may be easily rotated on its pivots until the detents again snap into the grooves at which time the opposite face of the setting support becomes visible. It is apparent that with this construction, it is unnecessary ,to dismantle any of the parts to produce a reversal thereof nor is it necessary to rely on additional spring catches to hold the parts in their proper relative positions.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision'of a new and improved fingerring possessing all of the advantages of arrangements heretofore proposed for this purpose and in which the foregoing disadvantages have been'eliminated. H Another object 'o'f the invention-is to. provide the finger of th wearer or- 9 Claims. (Cl. 63-15) an arrangement ofthe character disclosed in which a flexible ring shank is employed forgripping a reversible setting support thereby eliminating the use of spring catches.

A further object of the present invention is they provision in a reversible ring of a detent arrangement which cooperates with a flexible ring shank and a reversible setting support to maintain the setting support in any one of its desired positions.

Another of the objects of the present invention resides in the provision of a setting support gripped in a prestressed ring shank and pivots extending between the support and the shank to permit inversion of the support with respect to the shank.

Still other objects, advantages, and improvements will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the inventive finger ring partly broken away and showing the pivoted setting support rotated from its normal position;

Fig. 2 is a plan view partly broken away of the,

ring with its parts in the position illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the ring with parts broken away showing the setting support in its normal position; I v

Fig. 4 is a side view of the ring taken on the line 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view" of the setting support when detached from the ringshank;

- Fig. 6 is a partial view similar modification; and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the setting support employed in the modification of Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawings in which like numerals of reference are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views, there is shown in Fig. 1 a complete finger ring according to a preferred embodiment of the invention and indicated generally by the'numeral Ill.

The ring it) comprises a flexible substantially circular shank ll having a gaptherein provided with two opposing-faces l2 and 13. Mounted in said gap on pivot pins l4 and i5 projecting-from the faces I2 and 13 respectively is a setting support [6 which is provided with apertures i1 and Hi to receive the pins l4 and i5, respectively. The setting support I6 is wider than the gap in the shank ll so that the gapmust be expanded,

to Fig. 4 or a shank I-l.

the apertures l1 and 18 to permit expansion of shank II.

The shank faces l2 and I3 are provided with elongated projecting detents I 9 and 20, respectively, which are made integral with the shank H and are shaped to enter grooves 2| and 22, respectively, in the setting support I 6 and snugly interfit therewith. The side surfaces of the detents l9 and 20 converge slightly from the faces I 2 and I3 for a purpose to be made apparent hereinafter.

The setting support l6 has provided on its opposite faces insignia 23 and 24, respectively, which may comprise engraved or intaglic signets, emblems or jewelled settings, each face having a different aspect as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, respectively.

The operation of the arrangement is as follows:

When it is desired to change the insignia, em-

blem or jewelled setting that being worn to that of the opposite face of the setting support, it is necessary only to disengage the setting support 16 from the ring shank H by springing the ring shank sufficiently to permit the detents l9 and 20 to be withdrawn from the groovesv 2| and 22 whereupon the setting support may be rotated from its prior position (see Fig; 3) to its new position as indicated in Fig. l.

The springing of the ring shank Il may be accomplished in one of two ways. First, the ring shank may be forcibly spread by grasping both sides of the shank and. pulling in opposite directions until the detents l9 and 20 emerge from the grooves 2| and 22 sufficiently to permit initiation of the rotation of the setting support l6 whereupon a slight displacement of the detents with respect to the grooves will maintain the sprung condition. of the rink shank ll until the setting support has been rotated 180 degrees from its initial position when the detents will again be permitted to snap into the grooves.

The second manner in which the ring shank it may be sprung is made possible by reason of the aforementioned convergence of the sidesurfaces of the detents l9 and 20 to cause the detents to operate as cams with respect to the snugly fitting grooves 2-! and 22 when the setting support I5 is grasped between the fingers and forced to rotate with respect to the ring shank ll. Upon initial rotation of the setting support, the sloped surfaces of the grooves operate upon the sloped surfaces of the detents to force the detents to leave the grooves thereby simultaneously springing the ring When the setting support has been rotated 180 degrees, the stress in the ring shank will cause the detents to again snap into the grooves whereby the setting support will be rigidly maintained in its reversed position with respect to the ring shank. During the springing of the ring shank II, the pivot pins [4 and [5 move axially in their respective apertures l1 and. I8 as can be seen by a comparison of Figs. 1 and 3.

Numerous modifications in the arrangement will immediately suggest themselves- For example, the positions of the detents and their operating grooves may be reversed so that the detents project from the setting support and the. grooves are cut in the ring shank faces l2 and It, the operation remaining substantially the same. The positions of the pivot pins and their cooperating apertures may also be reversed and this arrangement is shown in Figs. 6 and '7 in which like numerals bearing the subscript a as are used in Figs. 1 to are employed to denote: similar parts.

It will be noted, in Figs. 6 and 7, that the pins 1 4a and I50. are affixed to the setting support Mia and that the cooperating apertures Na and l8a are bored in the ring shank Ila. The apertures may be bored completely through the rink shank and may then be partly filled with metallic plugs as shown at 25 or the apertures may be bored partly through the shank faces while the ring shank I I a is a fiat blank and before it has been given its ring shape.

The operation of the modification of Figs. 6 and 7 is in all respects similar to that of the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 5, as stressing of the ring shank in either of the two ways described above will permit rotation of the setting support lBa with respect thereto.

Although, in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, this invention has been disclosed in concrete form with reference to a preferred embodiment and a single modification thereof, it will be understood'that these forms are merely. illustrative and that the invention is not limited thereto since alterations and modifi cations will'readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit of this invention or the scope of the annexed. claims.

What is claimed as new and. desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1'. A finger ring comprising a reversible setting support-disposable in either of two positions, a prestressed shank for gripping said setting support, said setting support being pivotally mounted on said shank, and means comprising a detent and a cooperating groove for locking said setting support in either of said'two positions.

2. -A finger ring comprising a reversible setting support disposable in either of twopositions, a prestressed shank for gripping said setting sup port, said setting support being pivotally mounted on said shank, and means comprising a detent on: said shank and'a cooperating groove on said setting support for locking said setting support in I either of said two positions.

3. A finger ring comprising a reversible setting support disposable in either of two positions, a

prestressed shank for gripping said setting sup--' port, said-setting support being pivotally mounted on said shank, and means comprising a pluralityof detents on said shank and cooperating grooves on saicisetting support for locking said setting support in either of said two positions.

4. A finger ring comprising a support bearing emblems on its opposite faces, a prestressed shank sides of said shank, a pair of opposed apertures in said setting support for, receiving said pivots,

and. means-for locking said settingsupport to.

said shank comprising a detent on said shank and a cooperating groove in said-setting support.

6. A finger ring comprising. a setting support, a prestressed shank for gripping said setting sup port, a pa irof. pivots extending from opposite sides of said setting-support, a pair of opposedapertures in said shank for receiving said pivots, and means for locking. said setting supp rt to said shank comprising a detent on said shank and a cooperating groove in said setting support.

'7. A finger ring comprising an incomplete flexible ring member having a gap therein, a setting support larger than the gap pivoted therein and gripped by the stressed ring member, and means for locking said setting support to the ring member comprising a detent on the ring member and a cooperating groove in said setting support.

8. A finger ring comprising an incomplete flexible ring member having a gap therein, a setting support larger than the gap pivoted therein and gripped by the stressed ring member, and means for locking said setting support to the ring member comprising a, cam-shaped detent on the ring member and a cooperating groove in said setting support.

9. A finger ring comprising an incomplete flexible ring member having a gap therein, a setting supporting member larger than the gap mounted therein and gripped by the stressed ring member, pivots extending between the two REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 441,425 Lehr Nov. 25, 1890 1,026,153 Degner May 14, 1912 1,553,198 Stern Sept. 8, 1925 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 541,168 Great Britain Nov. 14, 1941 

